Look at the cable lengths. This HAS to be a gag. No way this is real.

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I really like the wired remote that came with my 3rd gen iPod. It's button layout was kind of crummy, but it was great having it while running on a trail or treadmill.

Remember when iPods came with a free wall charger, wired remote, dock, and belt clip case? Now all you get is a frickin' USB cable and pouch. That's Apple though, $300 RAM and $100 iPod cases in fine Corinthian leather.

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So, don't get me wrong, it IS ugly, but I'm curious: was Apple's original remote as "pointless" as this one, or does the fact that it's pretty make it more useful to you?

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@don:

Apple's remote was very small, didn't have a screen, had easy-to-feel-out buttons. This thing is large, but has small buttons that aren't easy to find by feeling, and has a screen that's completely unnecessary, and is likely fairly expensive. It's a solution in search of a problem, in my opinion. The purpose of the Apple remote was to let you adjust the volume and tracks quickly and without having to mess with pulling out a big piece of equipment or look down at a screen (or the remote itself, even). This appears (to me) to have no advantages over simply pulling out your iPod to do what you want with it.

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I wonder if the real intent is to add noise cancelling functionality to the iPod. That would be cool....

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I'm intrigued by the idea of the wireless version. An iPod remote with an LCD would be great for using an iPod in the car. It seems that now my only choices are to reach across to the console or use a longer cable (which is intrusive and unattractive). Ordinary remotes is annoying for long playlists and random play.

Actually, I have often pined for a remote with an LCD. Even if it is, in middle-school parlance, "butt-ugly".

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It looks like it was designed by a company that makes medical devices. It is the similarity to an electric thermometer that would cause me to disregard it on the shelf. If it is being targeted at the 55+ age group then, Way to go!

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Well, you know what they say "any publicity is good publicity"... I'm sure they'll get a few more sales out of this post, and I doubt this stopped anyone who was already thinking about buying one from actually purchasing one... most people would probably come to the same conclusions on their own.

How about writing about products we might actually be interested in rather than bashing crappy products.

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back in the day when I had a mindisic player it came with a remote that had the song title scroll across it. And although that remote was infinitely cooler and sleeker than this one is, I found it to have one major flaw that was probably unintended: it displayed the track name! Now you may say "of course it did, that is its point" but I found that to be kind of embarrassing. You're in an elevator or walking down the street (NYC is very tightly packed and crowded) and everyone can easily see what song you're listening to. I found it so annoying that I stopped using it.

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I loved my minidisc remote. Very slim, and I especially loved the screen on it. I personally never had an issue with people trying to read what I was listening to. I don't think having a screen is the issue, the issue is this remote is huge... and fugly.

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I've always wanted a remote with a screen, but that thing is HIDEOUS.

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The idea for having a screen is great. Nonetheless, this could use some better design cues but how about writing better articles before you start bashing other people's hard work as "butt-ugly"?

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how hilarious 'running away from the fashion police', made me laugh, tragically :D

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As long as it comes in the same size packaging as AppleCare, it's all good.

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Totally looks like a medical device. Hope I don't ever get the disease that that is prescribed for.

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As a former long-time minidisc user, I too would appreciate an unobtrusive
and *reasonably priced* remote with display. Laurie and others can joke
about the difficulty of pulling your iPod out of the bag or pocket, but the
truth is, for many people, it could improve the experience.

That said, this is a disappointing offering after years of clamor for such a
product. If that's the final design, the cable between the iPod and remote
is so short as to be useless. Also, to my mind, the remote is oriented the
wrong way -- in other words, the bottom of the display should be the part
attached to the iPod. That's how I was used to my MD remote, anyway.

This thing's not pretty, but that's less important to me than its function
and price.

Finally, what the heck is with the two wires between the remote and
headphones? The headphone wire seems to have a T-connection, but I don't get
what that little wire connected to the middle of the remote is. Anyone?

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Walkmen, minidisk players, and other consumer electronics in Japan had these types of remote controls in the early nineties (and some still do), and they were very useful. If you are packed into a subway train like sardines, reaching into your bag or backpack every time you want to control your music is a pain. Using the little remote on the headphone cords, though, was very convenient.

Since the US has no national public transportation to speak of, and since y'all probably use your ipods in your big honkin' SUVs, I don't suppose that this sort of thing would be useful. But in Europe or Asia, this might be a very good idea.

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